“We Don’t Choose What People Remember”

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, Staff and Faculty

A couple of years ago, I walked into my office to begin my day, sat down to turn on my computer, and noticed a slither of red illuminated my phone receiver. I briefly shrugged it off, deciding I’d check in a few minutes because I was on an emotional high from an email I received earlier that morning.

The email was from a student I had my first or second year of teaching 8th grade US History (1994-95). He had become an elementary principal in a local school district. Mind you, I last saw or talked to him when he graduated from GLHS. My book had just been published, and unknown to me, he read it and wanted to share his thoughts. It was a glowing review of the book and a couple of stories of things I did or said to him as a student that positively impacted him. His kind words surprised and humbled me because I didn’t remember what he experienced. I was grateful for his kind gesture and felt great coming into the office that day!

Once I turned on my computer and checked my work email, the illuminated phone receiver shined brightly as a reminder to check my voicemail. I picked up the receiver, pressed the voicemail button, tapped my password, and listened to the prompts. I selected the first prompt and heard the following words:


“Hello, Mr. Carter. You may not remember me, but I was one of your students when you were Principal at Lincoln High School. I just wanted to tell you that I hope you aren’t doing to other students what you did to me. You embarrassed me during an expulsion hearing and made me feel so small in front of my mom. Your words hurt me deeply, and because of you, I am pursuing my doctorate in cultural anthropology. I am better than you, smarter than you, and despite what you said, I will always be more educated than you…”

The caller continued to share how my words broke them. My head was spinning as I tried to recall this interaction. With a shaky head, I scribbled the caller’s words on any piece of paper I could find as quickly as possible. I was shaken, embarrassed, and, quite frankly, confused. After a few more colorful and choice words, the caller politely ended the message and hung up…

I sat back in my chair, dazed and defeated, and tried to process the situation. Who was this person? When did this happen? What am I going to do about it? I slowly sat up to look at the incoming number, but it didn’t match the caller’s name. Should I call them? Will I get defensive if we talk? What should I do?

In an instant, the joy I felt from the email was quickly replaced by shame and worry. What popped into my head were the following words of Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, former Superintendent of Fall School School District in Wisconsin,

We don’t get to choose what people remember. Treat every interaction as if it matters because it does.

I took a few more minutes (days) to see if I could recall any experience like that, but my mind was blank. Whether I remembered or not, what mattered most was that the caller remembered it as it happened to them. I appreciate the lesson and reminder to treat everyone with the dignity they inheritedly deserve.

The last few weeks of school can be stressful, so let’s remember Dr. Joe Sanfelippo’s words and create moments that create positive memories for ourselves and others.

Be Great,

Dwight

Get your copy of Be GREAT: Five Principles to Improve School Culture From the Inside Out here!

Kids These Days

Dwight Carter Leadership

How often have you heard or uttered the phrase, “Kids these days…”?
Yes, kids these days are different than how we grew up. They have other challenges than the ones we faced.

Most of us, as kids, had to deal with gauges and scratches on the back of our ankles from the pedals on our bike or how fast we needed to get home before the street lights came on, even though we were miles away from home. Yes, kids these days have different experiences, which can be challenging at times. We sometimes scratch our heads thinking about kids these days. However, Let us remember that many kids these days also do nice things for others.

As you watch this video below, consider the nice things you see students doing and remember they will be alright.

Be GREAT,

Dwight

Get your copy of Be GREAT: Five Principles to Improve School Culture From the Inside Out here!

Accountability

Dwight Carter #CultureEd, Leadership, School Climate ,

When you think of accountability, what comes to mind?

For some, it may be a reprimand or negative consequence for falling short of an expectation or goal. For others, it may be viewed as a coaching opportunity. Either way, accountability is a good thing when creating a positive culture.

According to whatis.com, accountability is an assurance that an individual or an organization will be evaluated on their performance or behavior related to something for which they are responsible. According to leadership coach and college professor Jack Slavinski, there are eight principles of accountability, so it’s a very complex skill to learn. Yes, accountability is a skill that is developed with consistent practice. The eight principles are:

I work in the Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical School District, and we have four core values:

Our leadership team constantly talks about and works hard to model our core values to ensure they are more than just words on a poster. We infuse them when developing new systems, some of our teachers use them to create shared expectations with students in classrooms, and our PBIS Team has designed lessons to teach them to students.

A few years ago, we collaboratively described what our values look like in action, but since then, we have several new leaders, teachers, and other staff members, so we are in the process of redefining each value to ensure organizational understanding and alignment. The more alignment, the stronger our culture will be.

Thinking about the importance of accountability reminds me of a video about a custodian at a middle school who had to find a way to solve a complex problem that cost him time and effort. As you watch the video, think about the eight principles of accountability and consider which ones he applied. Then, ask yourself, “Which of the principles am I strongest at, and which one is an area of improvement?” Then, decide what you will do about it to improve your classroom, department, or building culture.

Be GREAT,

Dwight

Get your copy of Be GREAT: Five Principles to Improve School Culture From the Inside Out here!

“Sunday Seven”

Dwight Carter #CultureEd, Leadership

In late July, I was featured in the Dave Burgess Consulting (DBC) Sunday Seven, a weekly series highlighting seven interesting facts about authors who publish with DBC, Inc or IMPress Books. Following are the Seven Sunday facts I shared on that website:

The Bowtie
The bowtie has become a signature look for me. It started when my wife asked me to wear a bowtie for my daughter’s first birthday party nine years ago. It took me about three weeks of practicing after watching a YouTube tutorial by Charles French. Hours before the party started, I still didn’t know how to do it. Panicking, with 30 minutes to spare, I gave it one more try and the rest, as they say, is history! I liked the look and joined in the #BowTieTuesday movement. Now I wear a bowtie every day to work. It’s a symbolic gesture of my love for my family!

Favorite GIFs
It brings me joy to celebrate others, so when someone tweets about something they’ve accomplished, I reply with one of my two favorite GIFs!

Noice GIFfrom Nice GIFs

Hat Tip Hats Off GIFfrom Hat Tip GIFs

Life Changing Life-Hack
I was a two-sport collegiate athlete. After graduating, I thought I’d continue working out, but life seemed to get in the way. As I’ve gotten older, I want to improve my fitness to be active with my daughter. Nearly three years ago, I committed to working out every day after watching a TEDx Talk by Dr. Ogie Shaw called Winning the Mental Battle of Physical Fitness and Obesity.

Dr. Shaw makes these key points:
-“Eat for nutrition, never eat for weight loss.”
-“It’s easier to work out seven days a week than three days a week. Three days a week gives too many decisions.”

The day after I listened to Dr. Shaw, I worked out first thing in the morning and have done so every day since. If I can do it, you can do it. Get started today!

Favorite Podcasts
I listen to a podcast when I work out and drive to work. I love listening to others’ stories. I listen to their cadence and what they want the listener to gain from their story. Many podcasts are not related to education because it’s essential to gain perspectives from various professions to look for ways to innovate our work. I have about fifteen different podcasts in my library, but my favorites are:
The Moth
Hidden Brain
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-american-life/id201671138
Snap Judgement

Character Strengths
Several years ago, I met a college professor and leadership coach named Jack Slavinski. I hired him to work with my leadership team, and he introduced us to the VIA Character Strength Assessment. This free assessment provides valuable information about our strengths and how we interact with others. I highly recommend you take the assessment to learn more about your signature strengths and how knowing them can impact how you interact and work with others.

Most Impactful Life Lesson
I wish I had learned this sooner, but I’m thankful the lesson came when it did. It’s pretty simple:

My Favorite Education Conference
It’s the Jostens Renaissance Global Conference! The #JRGC is the premier conference about school climate and culture for educators and students! It’s the one conference I MUST attend yearly because I return rejuvenated, energized, and equipped to start a new school year. I’ve met some of the most amazing educators through being a part of the Jostens Renaissance community, and I’m a much better educator because of Jostens Renaissance.

Be GREAT,

Dwight

Get your copy of Be GREAT: Five Principles to Improve School Culture From the Inside Out here!

The Trusted Adult

Dwight Carter #CultureEd, #EduTwitter, Focus on Students, Leadership, School Climate

I am the Director of Student Support Systems for the Eastland-Fairfield Career and Technical School District. It’s my second year in this role, and I absolutely love my team, the work, and our focus on the whole child.

We have a laser-like focus on creating the best conditions to engage, enrich, and equip students every day in every experience, and one of the best ways to do that is for each of us to be a trusted adult for at least one student.

via GIPHY

Trusted adults provide psychological safety, so students feel safe, procedures as consistent, and routines and behavior are predictable. When that occurs. students thrive!

In the movie Man of Fire, Creasy (played by Denzel Washington) was a down and suffering officer who lost his purpose in life until he met Pita. Pita was a young girl who lacked confidence and was a bit timid. Together, they formed a bond that allowed Pita to improve her self-esteem, gain confidence, and improve her performance as a swimmer. One of my favorite scenes is Pita’s swim meet. To prepare Pita for the meet, Creasy identified what she needed and used specific strategies to help change what she experienced in the water and life.

Watch the video clip below and focus on what the nun says to Creasy and what you notice about the relationship between Creasy and Pita. We don’t have to be our students’ world to have an impact; we just have to show we care for them, believe in them, and want the best for them.

How will you establish trusting and positive relationships with your students this year? How will you do the same with your colleagues? Better relationships lead to a more profound commitment to the work and more positive outcomes.

I discuss the importance of positive relationships and other guiding principles in my latest book, Be GREAT: Five Principles to Improve School Culture From the Inside Out. Get your copy today!

Be Great,

Dwight

Perspective

Dwight Carter Focus on Students, Leadership, Staff and Faculty, Technology Integration

The last two years have forced us to think differently about educating students. When we created online and blended learning models in response to the pandemic, we could see what was possible on a much larger scale than piloting a new delivery model in a single classroom or grade level. Some flourished while others floundered. We had to break any thinking trap that prevented us from creating a different education model.

It’s easy to fall into thinking traps about ourselves, our work, and other people. It may take a new experience, perspective, or vision to get out of those traps and change how we see the world around us. However, just like the traditional education model doesn’t work for every student, the change to online or blended learning models doesn’t work for every student either. It’s about providing several options for students and families.

Students, families, and educators are started to demand options because their perspectives have changed from the experiences of the last two years. Some ask why we can’t offer online options for students who want them. Why can’t we provide flexible work schedules for teachers and administrators who wish to offer student scheduling options? Again, perspectives have changed, which has led to discussions about what significant, systemic changes are possible for education.

I work in a Career Technical Education district, and when the pandemic first hit, we, like all schools, created a schedule to cope with the sudden disruption of forced closer. We scrambled to keep learning relevant. Students were used to spending half their day in their Career Tech Labs. We struggled to transition those types of experiences to an online environment. Quite frankly, it was impossible.

When the 2020-2021 school year started, we were committed to getting our students back on campus. We discussed various scheduling options and the logistics to make them a reality. Our perspective focused on allowing students to experience relevant hands-on learning in an environment set up for those experiences. We had to get our students back on campus.

After a few weeks, we brought students back on a hybrid schedule where they came for lab only and completed their academics online. It was not ideal, but we made it work, and our students responded well to it. We were intentional about it and took several iterations to find something that worked for the most part.

Often, this takes some intentionality, but it could happen after a little happy accident (Bob Ross!). Watch the video below to see what happens when an ostrich accidentally trips into a new vision, which ultimately creates new possibilities for the entire flock. As you watch it, I encourage you to think about the following questions:

What new opportunities will you create for yourself and others around you with a bit of change in perspective?

What intentional steps can you take this week to broaden your perspective to meet the changing needs of students and staff?

Be Great,

Dwight

“Start Slow, End Strong”

Dwight Carter Leadership, Staff and Faculty, Technology Integration

I recently listened to an episode on George Couros’ Mindset Monday podcast called, “Start Slow, End Strong.” He shared a story about how he approaches running marathons. It’s more of a slow roll rather than a high-energy burst at the start. I was reminded of something my grandmother told me many years ago as I listened.

About 25 years ago, I got serious about my relationship with God. I attended Bible Study every Wednesday night, Sunday school on Sunday morning followed by a two-hour service, and I attended the small group sessions during the week. I felt like I was called to be a preacher, and I spent many hours studying on the weekends. My grandmother, Grandma Carter, is a wise woman with a gentle spirit. She is the family’s matriarch and has earned that title through her love and actions. She is observant, always thinking, but rarely interferes with our lives. However, she will impart nuggets of wisdom when she is moved to do so.

She recognized an all-too-familiar pattern of behavior in me and wanted to prevent me from starting fast and fizzling out way before I should. She called me one lazy Sunday evening and asked how I was doing. We exchanged pleasantries, talked about my job, her health, and whatever else was going on in our lives. Then she asked, “How are things going at church?” I enthusiastically shared what the sermons were about, my notes from Bible Study, and how my preparation was coming along. She listened without saying much. When I finished, she sighed and said, “Baby, slow down.You will get there, but take your time. I know how you are.”

I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t annoyed by that. I thought, “Man, she is always so worried about me. Stop trippin’.” But, what I said to her was, “I know Grandma. I know.” Ten years after that conversation, I was utterly exhausted from studying; in fact, I was sick of it. I grew tired of everything related to the church. I was in such a hurry to learn as much as I could as fast as I could that I lost the joy in the process. I was done. Grandma was right…

I did the same thing when I got my first teaching position. I’d spend several hours each night preparing lessons, trying to soak in every piece of information about the subject matter, and planning engaging lessons. That’s how I tackled most things in my life. When I committed to something, I was all in 100%. No balance; I had to learn as much as I could as fast as possible. It was like I had to prove I was to be taken seriously in the space (teacher, preacher, learner, leader, you name it). When I learned how to use social media as a school leader, I was all in, tweeting and posting as much as I could and whenever I could. It became a part of my identity as a leader for many years. And then, one day, I just grew tired of it, all of it.

Grandma was right, but I finally understood what she meant this time.

George mentions how he started his podcast. Instead of buying expensive equipment, he purchased a $10 microphone, connected it to his phone, and started talking. Over time, he enjoyed the process and became more intentional about his episodes. “Start slow, end strong.”

I recently started a new position, which I absolutely love. Shortly after being board-approved, my mind started racing about everything I wanted to do. I created this sense of urgency. I began to worry about way too much, and then I remembered my grandmother’s words: “Baby, slow down. You will get there, but take your time.” I am taking my time to learn the role, connect with others in similar positions, observe, and reflect while also doing the work.

What new things do you want to try as we start a new semester? Whatever it is, start slow, be consistent, and you will end strong.

Be Great,

Dwight

Our Most Important Relationship

Dwight Carter Leadership, School Climate

When I walked into my first education class during the first semester of my freshman year at Wittenberg University, in the middle of the expansive black chalkboard was a large white post-it paper was the following quote: No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” -Dr. James Comer

His words pierced my heart. Instantly I was certain about my career choice. His words made everything so clear for me. I understood why I connected with some teachers and coaches and not others. It all made sense, and those words clearly and concisely described why I wanted to become an educator. I wanted to be relational so that I could positively change lives and impact others’ futures.

To be relational describes how two or more people are connected. Relational is an action word indicating that it’s an ongoing process that requires intentionality. It’s a service, and for some, it’s a way of life. Meaningful relationships are transformational, not transactional. In a transactional relationship, one party is seeking to gain from another at a cost. Someone is giving up something with the expectation of getting something in return. While this relates to a monetary/service exchange, it often exists with an actual product being sold. It’s a balance of power and may be an uneven exchange. One of the people involved is acting out of self-interest, and little value is placed on the relationship.

It is no secret that creating and maintaining positive relationships contributes to overall success and growth. Our work’s foundation has little to do with content knowledge, pedagogy, and understanding of assessment. Those things are important to becoming a better and effective educator. Still, without having positive relationships, you can be the best technical educator and have no significant impact on your students and colleagues. Our work’s foundation is the types of relationships between educators, students, families, and communities. You show me a school with toxic or negative relationships; I guarantee it is not a successful school. While we often focus on relationships and connections with others, we cannot neglect the relationships we have with ourselves.

The most important relationship we have is the relationship with ourselves. How we treat ourselves can lead to success or sabotage. There is a growing body of research about the importance of self-care, primarily because our culture has glorified busyness and glamorized “the grind.” We wear busyness as a badge of honor and work ourselves to the point of exhaustion. We engage in conversations about how busy we are and “story top” to ensure we are the busiest in our group. We equate busyness with productivity and develop a martyr mindset. It’s self-destructive and models to our students, family members, and communities that what we do is arduous, burdensome work. Is that the message we want to send? Do we want to work ourselves to exhaustion and eventually burnout?

We often say that students are the most important people in the building. We also say that we must always do what is best for students, especially when making decisions about curriculum, instruction, assessment, and culture. Our students are why we do what we do, but they are not the most important people in the building. We are.

Our attitude and mental well-being affect the climate and culture of our schools. There’s so much pressure to be the best, and we can sabotage ourselves because of self-destructive thoughts. Sometimes our greatest enemy or barrier to success is ourselves. Past experiences, negative emotions, or even replaying others’ negative words that have been spoken to us can sabotage our ideas, goals, and dreams.

If you neglect yourself for the sake of your work, consider this: you cannot give your best if you have very little to give. Consider ways to make your health a priority. Start by making small, subtle changes like going to bed earlier just one night this week. Turn off all notifications on your phone when you get home. Do not send or respond to emails after a specific time that is relevant to you. For example, make 6:00 or 7:00 pm when you shut down email until you get to school the next day. Write down a few positive experiences about your day and reflect on how they made you feel. Share some good news with someone close to you. Move your body by going for a walk, run, or ride. Review and re-establish boundaries around work so you can protect yourself and be your best. Know when to say when and call it a day. You deserve it.

Be Great,

Dwight

Find Ways to Use Your Strengths

Dwight Carter Leadership, School Climate, Staff and Faculty

Have you ever questioned why you do what you do? Have you questioned your excitement or passion for what you do? I hesitate to use the word “passion” because it’s overused and misunderstood. It’s at a point where some may believe that they have to find something else to do if they are not passionate about their work. One can be passionate about something apart from one’s career. Many are and are living successful, fulfilled lives.

Instead of questioning your passion, I encourage you to examine if you are using your strengths. Are you operating in your character strengths regularly, or are you stifled by your title or job description?

Several years ago, I began speaking and coaching while I was also a building principal. I loved the work. I made connections with others who do the same who I am blessed to call my friends. I enjoyed helping other leaders and educators work through challenges or inspire them to try new things. After a presentation or coaching session, I’d return to my building on fire and ready to take on the day. I noticed it, and others saw it as well. Soon after, I would become bogged down with the minutiae that are just a part of the job. Over time, I became discouraged and somewhat disheartened. It was a struggle. I decided to change districts, thinking that I would find my joy in the job with a fresh start.

While I enjoyed working in another district, I quickly learned that it wasn’t the district. My issue was internal. I still got a charge from many parts of being a building principal, especially creating the conditions for students to succeed and staff to teach and grow professionally. There were also parts that I just couldn’t stomach any more. After many months of reflection, talk therapy, and soul searching, I learned that the one thing I enjoy most is teaching. I continued to coach and speak, and I decided to leave the principalship to coach, present, and consult full-time.

Teaching can occur in many forms: coaching, using staff meetings as learning opportunities, speaking, and presenting. I love the entire learning process and found myself unable to do it as much as a building principal because the principalship is multi-faceted and layered.

A few years ago, I worked with a leadership coach named Jack Slavinski (@jackslav) to identify my strengths. Through the process, I learned why I succeeded in some principalship areas and struggled in other areas. Regardless of your position, you can still learn to use your strengths to help yourself, others, and your school or district. After a year as a full-time leadership and effective coach and presenter, I returned to building leadership as an assistant director at a career and technical school. My transition back to the building was not easy, but I learned to lean into my strengths and find ways to use them to have a positive impact on my team, staff, and students. I have a better work/life balance, my mind is clearer, and I can support our director because of my experience in the position. Here are three things I did to find more fulfillment in my career:

1. Use a research-based assessment to learn more about your character strengths and reflect on what you enjoy most about your job. I highly recommend the VIA Character Strength Assessment. I’ve taken it twice in the last two years, and my top five character strengths have remained pretty consistent, which is consistent with the research. Putting words and descriptions to my strengths has allowed me to be more intentional about my daily work.

2. Share your strengths with others and let them know how you use them to serve others. Take it a step further and share your plan on how you will better operate within your strengths to add value to others and your school. For example, I am now in my second year as an Assistant Director at Eastland Career Center. I am relatively new to CTE and have found many ways to use my strengths to help my district. I help facilitate staff meetings, collaborate with district staff to plan our professional development, and find ways to lead up, meaning helping our leaders lead better. The John Maxwell Company shares nine ways to lead up:
● Lead yourself exceptionally well. The key to leading yourself well is to learn self-management. In order to be successful, we must make the right decisions early and manage those decisions daily. Then, we are prepared to follow through on them with consistency.

● Lighten your leader’s load. When the boss succeeds, the organization succeeds. Conversely, it is almost impossible for you to win if your boss fails. Be a team player and lift the load on your boss’ plate. By helping your boss in a great way, you are a part of something bigger and will have the chance to celebrate success in the end.

● Be willing to do what others won’t. Few things gain the appreciation of a top leader more quickly than an employee with a whatever-it-takes attitude.

● Do more than manage – lead! Managers work with processes – leaders work with people. Think within a broad context about how your decisions will impact the entire organization. You’ll prove you can move past management to leadership.

● Invest in relationship chemistry. People won’t go along with you if they can’t get along with you. As a leader, our job is to connect with people. We must connect with those we lead, our peers, and those who lead us. In order to lead up, be a champion of what your leader desires.

● Be prepared every time you take your leader’s time. Time is the one commodity that cannot be increased, no matter what a leader does. Take steps and research to prepare yourself and your leader for your time together. Preparation paves the way for both leaders to add value to each other.

● Know when to push and when to back off. Successful leaders make the right move at the right moment with the right motive. Knowing the right time to push and when to back off will determine if you get pushed right out the door. As leaders, we must read the atmosphere of the workplace to determine appropriate next steps.

● Become a go-to player. All leaders are looking for people who can step up and make a difference when it matters. When they find such people, they come to rely on them and are inevitably influenced by them. To be a go-to player, we must always produce excellence. Leaders will trust us and count on us in moments that count.

● Be better tomorrow than you are today. The key to personal development is being more growth-oriented than goal-oriented. Goals are valuable, but growth helps you achieve those goals. Focus on growth every day, and your leadership journey will be life-long and fulfilling. Ultimately, you’ll benefit your entire organization when you aim for personal growth.

3. Work on your strengths as you plan, prepare, and practice while doing your daily work.

If you are frustrated, disenchanted, discouraged, and questioning your effectiveness as a leader, teacher, coach, or whatever, take some time to identify your areas of strength. Reflect on the moments you experience joy in your work and consider why. Then do something about it. Take the VIA Character Assessment and examine your profile to identify ways to find more purpose in your career. Your colleagues, staff, and team will experience the difference, and thank you for it. Feel free to share your results and reflections in the comment section or email me at mrdwightcarter@gmail.com.

Be Great,

Dwight

A Promise to Myself, For Myself

Dwight Carter Leadership

https://becauseisaidiwould.org/about/
Three hundred sixty-five days ago, I made a promise to myself to workout every day. Today, January 18th, 2021, I fulfilled that promise! I grew up an athlete, competed in high school and college, and continued to work out when I was a football and track coach. However, that was over 20 years ago, after a while, and I got pretty relaxed about my health.

I got used to making excuses about why I stopped and eventually succumbed to the notion that I was just getting older. About four years ago, I was diagnosed with clinical depression after struggling internally with several things. I dreaded retaking medication to feel normal, but I knew it was a necessary step towards getting healthy. I joined a gym and started working out 3-4 days a week. I started journaling again and seeing a therapist for cognitive and talk therapy. Over time, I began to feel like myself and made some other changes in my life to regain some balance, peace of mind, and clarity.

I’m an avid learner. I enjoy reading blogs by respected leaders and educators, listening to podcasts, and reading various books. I listened to a TEDx Talk called Winning the Mental Battle of Physical Fitness and Obesity by Dr. Ogie Shaw, and it changed my perspective on working out. One statement he made that resonated with me is, “It’s easier to work out every day than it is three days a week. Three days a week gives you too many decisions… If you are negotiating about which days to work out, it’s over.” That made sense to me. So, it was at the point that I promised myself that I was going to work out every day.

To fulfill my promise, I took the following steps:
1. No Snooze Allowed– I put my phone across the room, so when my alarm went off at 4:15 am, I had to get out of bed to turn it off. Once I was up, there was no reason to get back into bed.
2. Nightly Prep– I laid out my workout clothes to eliminate having to make another decision in the morning.
3. I Scheduled It– I made an appointment for myself, 5:00 am weekdays, 8:00 am on Saturdays, and 9:00 am on Sundays. I don’t skip out on important meetings with others, so why skip out on myself?
4. Made a Plan– I partnered with a trainer to develop a workout plan that met my time constraints. I am thankful for David Key of Key Body and Fitness (@david_keybody)! David quickly pivoted when the pandemic hit and started hosting Zoom classes that are easily accessible. Between his classes, running, and using an elliptical machine, I have no reason not to workout.
5. Charted my Progress-After each workout, I marked it off on a calendar that I keep on my nightstand. The visual chart is motivation!

Since I eliminated having to decide if and when I would work out, it’s a part of my daily routine. I don’t even think about it anymore. More importantly:
* I kept my promise.
* I am more disciplined in other areas of my life.
* I feel better physically.
* I am mentally stronger.
* I am more confident.
* I have influenced others to do the same.

Tomorrow, I will continue my journey. In fact, I added another challenge to my routine, the 10,000 push up challenge. I have promised myself that I will do 28 push-ups every day for the year. I’m actually doing 30-50 a day, but that’s not the point. The point is to make changes in your life, eliminate excuses, make a plan, and implement the plan. Besides, “It’s easier to hold your principles 100 percent of the time than it is to hold them 98 percent of the time.”-Clayton M. Christiansen

Be Great,

Dwight